'Film Day at the Capitol' showcases bright future for film industry in Georgia

Wednesday marked Film Day at the Capitol as the Georgia Film Office recognized the state's past, present and future in the film industry.

Gov. Nathan Deal, House Speaker David Ralston and Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson all recognized the economic impact the industry has had across the state.

“Georgia continues to attract film and television productions because of our diverse landscape, deep talent pool, infrastructure, accessibility through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, as well as a stable and consistent production tax incentive,” Wilson said.

Productions created in Georgia have generated an overall impact economically of more than $7 billion during the 2016 fiscal year, and according to the Motion Picture Association of America, the industry has been responsible for directly employing more than 25,000 Georgia residents, generating an overall figure of some $4.2 billion in wages.

Georgia communities have provided some of the most recognizable backdrops in Hollywood productions, including Covington, home of The Vampire Diaries, Senoia in The Walking Dead, Juliette in Fried Green Tomatoes, along with many other areas of the state.

“One reason that Georgia is attracting so many productions and filmmakers is the overwhelming support they receive from our communities, the new infrastructure and our trained workforce,” said Lee Thomas, Deputy Commissioner of the Georgia Film Office. “We have seen hundreds of new companies locate to Georgia to support the booming film industry which provide jobs for Georgians as well as an increased tax base and investment opportunities in our state.”

During the 2016 fiscal year, Georgia hosted 245 feature films, television movies and series, commercials and music videos.

While plenty have been seen so far, in the coming weeks alone, new Georgia-filmed movies premiering soon include Gifted, starring Chris Evans, Jenny Slate and Octavia Spencer on April 7; Fast 8 with Vin Diesel, Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson on April 14; The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacksstarring Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne premiering April 22 on HBO; Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 with Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper opening on May 5 and Baywatch with Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron premiering on May 26.

Feature films either in preproduction or currently in production include Pitch Perfect 3, Jumanji, Lizzie, I, Tonya, Rampage, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War and Ant-Man & The Wasp.

Along with these, there are more projects coming up all the time. Georgia's film and television landscape are broadening, especially as more and more production companies find a comfortable work environment and innovative business landscape that lends itself toward additional projects developing here.